The present invention relates in general to refrigerant material transfer devices for automotive air conditioning systems and more particularly to refrigerant material transfer devices having quick connect fittings with design features for manufacture of the fittings from plastic material.
Automotive air conditioners periodically require servicing to maintain the proper level of refrigerant for efficient operation of the air conditioner. Automotive air conditioners have valved connectors for recharging the air conditioner with additional refrigerant or other materials, such as lubricants. On occasion, a small amount of refrigerant should be added to the air conditioner to increase their cooling effect and efficiency.
Service stations have equipment for recharging automotive air conditioners but the inconvenience and costs for performing this service are substantial. It is desirable for a consumer to inexpensively recharge his own automotive air conditioner at his convenience. It is also desirable that the cost of such an automotive air conditioning recharger be minimized with improved operational features.
In many cases, it is difficult to position tools or the operators fingers to mechanically attached an air conditioning recharger, such as by a threaded connector, to the automotive air conditioner connector. Accordingly, it is desirable provide a quick connect connector that provides for attachment to the automotive air conditioner connector quickly and efficiently without the need for additional tools or manual twisting of the connector components.
Do-it-yourself automotive air conditioner rechargers are known. One such recharger provides an aerosol can having refrigerant and oil therein with a valve in fluid communication with the aerosol can. A tube is attached to the valve and conveys the refrigerant to a quick connect fitting. The quick connect fitting is attachable to and detachable from the valved connector on the automotive air conditioner and allows refrigerant to flow into the automotive air conditioner when attached to the automotive connector.
The quick connect fitting has a series of balls positioned in pockets about its outer periphery to engage a depression in the air conditioner connector. The known quickconnect fitting has an outer sleeve biased with a spring toward the series of balls to urge the balls toward the depression in the air conditioner connector. A spring clip is provided to stop move of the outer sleeve which would allow disassembly of the numerous components of this known quick connect fitting. The assembly of this quick connect fitting requires the positioning of the balls in their respective pockets, assembling the outer sleeve with its biasing spring and assembling the spring clip to prevent disassembly of these components. The cost of the numerous components of such a quick connect fitting, along with the cost of their assembly result in a more costly product for the consumer to recharge his automotive air conditioner.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a quick connector that has a fewer parts that are more readily assembled and in which the parts are particularly designed to be formed in plastic. In order to provide a quick connector that is easy to assemble, it is desirable to allow for assembly of the sleeve and body of the quick connector by simply sliding them into an assembled relationship and when assembled, restrain the disassembly of the body and sleeve without additional separate components.
When operating a quick connector, it is desirable to maintain the body and sleeve in either a locked position, in which the quick connector is secured to the automotive connector, or an unlocked position, in which the quick connector can be freely removed from the automotive connector without requiring additional parts.
Gillen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,109, discloses an actuator and hose assembly for use with an aerosol container to recharge the automotive air conditioner. The Gillen reference provides an aerosol can having refrigerant therein with a valve in fluid communication with the aerosol can. A tube is attached to the valve and conveys the refrigerant to a threaded fitting which attaches to the automotive connector. The threaded fitting may be of any known design and is attachable to and detachable from the valved connector on the automotive air conditioner. The threaded fitting allows refrigerant to flow from the aerosol container into the automotive air conditioner when attached to its connector. The particular threaded fitting shown in Gillen does not allow for quick connection of the assembly to the automotive air conditioner connector.
The automotive connector is valved so that refrigerant cannot escape the automotive air conditioner unless the automotive connector valve is actuated. Once the automotive connector valve is actuated, it is desirable to allow flow of refrigerant into the automotive air conditioner but not allow refrigerant to flow or escape from the automotive air conditioner. One known automotive connector valve design is a known Schrader valve. Such a valve has a pin that when depressed opens the valve. Normally, the valve is in a closed position in which refrigerant is sealed in the air conditioning system.
White, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,110, discloses a do-it-yourself kit for recharging an automobile air conditioning system by connecting the source of refrigerant to the automotive connector with a threaded fitting. Hatch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,92, discloses a refrigerant material transfer adapter which also threadedly engages the air conditioner fitting. Trachtenburg, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,032, teaches a kit and method for retrofitting an automobile air conditioner.
Known connectors have devices to actuate the automotive connector valve and check valves to allow flow of refrigerant into the automotive air conditioner but not allow refrigerant to flow or escape from the automotive air conditioner.
In the design of a plastic quick connect fitting, it is desirable to provide a plastic check valve that snaps into engagement with another part of the fitting so that it is secured thereto without any separate fastening components. This allows for ready assembly of the valve. It is also desirable that such a plastic valve is sufficiently strong to open the automotive connector valve while providing for a snap fit when assembling the plastic quick connect fitting. It is also desirable that the plastic quick connect fitting valve allows refrigerant to flow through the valve when the valve ball is resting against its valve cage. It is also desirable to provide a plastic quick connect fitting valve that allows sufficient flow of refrigerant therethrough when transferring refrigerant from the refrigerant container to the automotive air conditioner.